Systems including a gateway receiving sensor data, and related methods

ABSTRACT

A system including a data storage server, a service provider&#39;s server, and a gateway including a transceiver configured to operate at a power level below 5.0 mW, the data storage server generates first tokens, receives a registration from the service provider&#39;s server, and issues first tokens to the service provider&#39;s server, and receives a first token from the service provider&#39;s server. The data storage server receives sensor data from the gateway, the gateway executes the application to receive the sensor data from sensors, and the data storage server issues second tokens to the gateway after receiving the sensor data from the gateway and stores the received sensor data on the data storage or service provider&#39;s server.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the priority of PCT/US2018/053834, filed on Oct.2, 2018, which is a continuation-in-part of International ApplicationNo. PCT/US2018/037720, filed on Jun. 15, 2018, and claims priority to GBApplication No. GB1716073.0, filed on Oct. 2, 2017, the entire contentsof each of which being fully incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The field of the invention relates to systems including a gatewayreceiving sensor data, and to related methods.

2. Technical Background

At the present time, the world contains billions of devices withconnectivity which gather sensor data. It would be possible to gather upthat data in a particular location, and to store that data, and then toanalyze the stored data to obtain results which cannot otherwise beobtained. However, a major obstacle is that users of devices withconnectivity, or the providers of services used by the devices withconnectivity, are reluctant, or unwilling, to provide sensor data fromthe devices with connectivity, because the users or providers areworried about the security of the sensor data after they have providedit. Another worry may be that if the users or providers are promisedsome payment for providing the data, the payment may not be provided, orincorrect logging of the amount of sensor data provided may mean thatthe payment is less than it should have been. Another problem is thatthe collection of large amounts of sensor data may require unacceptableamounts of energy use, for example if many long distance wireless datalinks need to be used for a large amount of time.

Accordingly, there is a need for a system in which users of devices withconnectivity, or the providers of services used by the devices withconnectivity, can provide sensor data from the devices withconnectivity, using low amounts of energy, with confidence in thesecurity of the sensor data after the users or providers have providedit, and with confidence that if the users or providers are promised somepayment or reward for providing the sensor data, the payment or rewardwill be provided, and that correct logging of the amount of dataprovided will mean that the payment amount, or the reward, is correct.

3. Discussion of Related Art

EP2741468A1 and EP2741468B1 each discloses a user data annotationmethod, a terminal device, and a server. The method includes: receiving,by a server, location information of a first user corresponding to afirst terminal device, behavior information of the first user, andsensor data of each sensor on the first terminal device, which are sentby the first terminal device in a process of a game; and annotating, bythe server, the location information of the first user, the behaviorinformation of the first user, and the sensor data to obtain annotationdata of the first user. The technical disclosure can increase the amountof annotation data and overcome the limitation on the application ofuser behavior recognition.

EP2670108A1 and EP2670108B1 each discloses a pluggable module, whichmodule is configured to be connected into a pluggable port of a radiobase station. The pluggable module is associated with at least onesensor for collecting external sensor data. The pluggable modulecomprises at least one communication interface, a processor and a memoryfor storing software comprising computer program code which, when run inthe processor, causes the pluggable module to collect pre-specifiedexternal sensor data from at least one sensor associated with thepluggable module and communicate the collected external sensor data to acentralized server via the at least one communication interface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a systemincluding a data storage server, a service provider's server, and agateway including a transceiver configured to operate at a power levelbelow 5.0 mW, the gateway programmed with an application, the serviceprovider's server in communication with the data storage server, and thegateway in communication with the data storage server,

-   -   wherein the data storage server is configured to generate first        tokens, to receive a registration from the service provider's        server, and to issue first tokens to the service provider's        server, and to receive a first token from the service provider's        server,    -   wherein the data storage server is configured to receive sensor        data from the gateway, the gateway executing the application to        receive the sensor data from a sensor, or from a plurality of        sensors, via the transceiver, the data storage server configured        to issue second tokens to the gateway after receiving the sensor        data from the gateway,    -   the data storage server further configured to store the received        sensor data on the data storage server or to store the received        sensor data on the service provider's server, wherein token        transactions for the first tokens and for the second tokens are        stored in the system. For example, Bluetooth Class 2, Bluetooth        Class 3 and Bluetooth Class 4 transceivers all operate at a        power level below 5.0 mW.

An advantage is that the system is arranged to harvest sensor data andto log the harvesting of the sensor data, using low amounts of energy,which enables energy efficient harvesting of large amounts of sensordata.

The system may be one wherein the sensor data is stored using ablockchain system, wherein the token transactions for the first tokensand for the second tokens are stored using the blockchain system, andwherein the data storage server, the service provider's server, and thegateway are registered nodes in the blockchain system. An advantage isthat sensor data is stored securely, because it is stored using theblockchain system. An advantage is that token transactions are storedsecurely, because they are stored using the blockchain system. Anadvantage is that sensor data and transaction data are securely storedin the same blockchain system, which means that transactions are veryreliably associated with respective sensor data storage activities.

The system may be one in which the transceiver is configured to operateat a power level below 3.0 mW. An advantage is improved energyefficiency of harvesting of sensor data.

The system may be one in which the transceiver is configured to operateat a power level below 1.0 mW. An advantage is improved energyefficiency of harvesting of sensor data.

The system may be one in which the transceiver is a Bluetoothtransceiver. An advantage is operability with a wide range of sensors.

The system may be one in which the gateway is a mobile computing device.An advantage is that the gateway may collect sensor data as it moves.

The system may be one in which the mobile computing device is asmartphone, a tablet computer or a laptop computer. An advantage is thatthe gateway provides a broad functionality.

The system may be one in which the gateway is a non-mobile device.

The system may be one in which the gateway is configured to useBluetooth mesh networking. An advantage is the ability to collect moresensor data.

The system may be one in which the gateway includes a furthertransceiver.

The system may be one in which the further transceiver is configured tooperate at a power level above 50 mW. An advantage is the ability tosend the data further than is possible using the transceiver.

The system may be one in which the gateway is configured to communicatewith the data storage server using the further transceiver.

The system may be one in which the further transceiver is a cellulartransceiver, for example a LPWAN transceiver.

The system may be one in which the transceiver is configured to useadvertising (beacon) one way communication from a sensor to the gateway.

The system may be one in which the transceiver is configured to use amesh Bluetooth protocol. An advantage is the ability to collect moresensor data.

The system may be one in which the system includes a sensor.

The system may be one in which the sensor sends a beacon advertisingsignal when it is not connected to the gateway; the gateway'sapplication sets up a geofence zone to all low power (below 5.0 mW)sensors, so the gateway runs a part of the application code each timewhen the gateway enters a sensor advertising signal zone; this part ofthe code is responsible for data routing—so the gateway connects to thesensor, downloads the sensor data and sends the sensor data to thedestination (eg. in the cloud).

The system may be one in which the transceiver is configured to usetwo-way communication between the sensor which is trusted by thegateway, and the gateway, which is trusted by the sensor.

The system may be one in which the sensor includes an ID relating to thesystem.

The system may be one in which the gateway checks the ID against aledger of the system, wherein the system includes the ledger.

The system may be one in which the gateway checks a secure key in thegateway's internal memory, and all data sent through the gateway isend-to-end encrypted.

The system may be one in which a user can't read the data until he hasnecessary key for the sensor.

The system may be one in which a sensor key is used for correctaccounting of a sent data amount.

The system may be one in which multiple Bluetooth sensors areconnectable to multiple gateways, acting as gateways to the sensor datadestination.

The system may be one including Bluetooth sensors which include sensorsin one or more of: Utility meters; Parking sensors; Water/gas leakdetectors; Gunshot detectors; Air quality sensors; weather sensors;Attendance counters; Panic buttons; Public transportation trackers;Street lights; traffic lights; Home & office security sensors; Assettrackers; electricity meters; sun light/radiation meters; vibrationsensors.

The system may be one in which the system includes multiple LPWANgateways, and multiple LPWAN sensors connectable to the multiple LPWANgateways.

The system may be one in which there is no need to pair a specificsensor with a specific gateway.

The system may be one in which storage of sensor data is recorded withina common ledger, creating a transparent billing.

The system may be one in which the tokens are crypto-tokens.

The system may be one in which the system provides interoperable andtransparent connectivity for cities, individual households and majorenterprises alike.

The system may be one including a plurality of gateways, the pluralityof gateways in communication with the data storage server, each gatewayincluding a transceiver configured to operate at a power level below 5.0mW, each gateway programmed with an application, wherein the datastorage server is configured to receive sensor data from the gateways,each gateway executing the respective application to receive the sensordata via the respective transceiver, the data storage server configuredto issue second tokens to the gateways after receiving the sensor datafrom the gateways,

-   -   the data storage server further configured to store the received        sensor data on the data storage server or to store the received        sensor data on the service provider's server, wherein token        transactions for the first tokens and for the second tokens are        stored in the system. An advantage is that many gateways can be        used to gather sensor data. An advantage is that the system        provides for many gateways to receive second tokens, in relation        to sending sensor data to the data storage server.

The system may be one in which the transceivers are configured tooperate at a power level below 3.0 mW. An advantage is improved energyefficiency of harvesting of sensor data.

The system may be one in which the transceivers are configured tooperate at a power level below 1.0 mW. An advantage is improved energyefficiency of harvesting of sensor data.

The system may be one wherein the sensor data is stored using theblockchain system, wherein token transactions for the first tokens andfor the second tokens are stored using the blockchain system, andwherein the gateways are registered nodes in the blockchain system. Anadvantage is that sensor data gathered by the gateways and transactiondata associated with the gateways are securely stored in the sameblockchain system, which means that for the gateways, transactions arevery reliably associated with respective sensor data storage activities.

The system may be one in which the plurality of gateways include aplurality of LR gateways and a plurality of BLE gateways. An advantageis that sensor data may be received by both short range connection, andby longer range connection, which covers a broad range of connectiondistances.

The system may be one in which the gateways are arranged to receive thesensor data from a plurality of devices registered at the serviceprovider's server. An advantage is that sensor data may be received frommany devices.

The system may be one in which the system includes a plurality ofservice providers' servers, the service providers' servers incommunication with the data storage server, wherein the data storageserver is configured to generate first tokens, to receive registrationsfrom the service providers' servers, and to issue first tokens to theservice providers' servers, and to receive first tokens from the serviceproviders' servers, wherein token transactions for the first tokens arestored using the blockchain system,

-   -   and wherein the service providers' servers are registered nodes        in the blockchain system. An advantage is that sensor data        relating to service providers' servers and transaction data        associated with the service providers' servers are securely        stored in the same blockchain system, which means that for the        service providers' servers, transactions are very reliably        associated with respective sensor data storage activities.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided amethod of storing transactions and sensor data acquired using atransceiver configured to operate at a power level below 5.0 mW, in asystem, the system including a data storage server, a service provider'sserver, and a gateway, the gateway including the transceiver configuredto operate at a power level below 5.0 mW, the gateway programmed with anapplication, the service provider's server in communication with thedata storage server, and the gateway in communication with the datastorage server, the method including the steps of:

-   -   (i) the data storage server generating first tokens;    -   (ii) the data storage server receiving a registration from the        service provider's server, and issuing first tokens to the        service provider's server, and receiving a first token from the        service provider's server;    -   (iii) the gateway executing the application to receive sensor        data from a sensor, or from a plurality of sensors, via the        transceiver which is configured to operate at a power level        below 5.0 mW;    -   (iv) the data storage server receiving the sensor data from the        gateway;    -   (v) the data storage server issuing second tokens to the gateway        after receiving the sensor data from the gateway;    -   (vi) the data storage server storing the received sensor data on        the data storage server or storing the received sensor data on        the service provider's server, and    -   (vii) storing token transactions for the first tokens and for        the second tokens in the system.

The method may be one including the step of using a system of any aspectof the first aspect of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Aspects of the invention will now be described, by way of example(s),with reference to the following Figures, in which:

FIG. 1 shows examples of application areas.

FIG. 2 shows an example in which Vendor X makes available for use aplurality of consumer devices. The plurality of consumer devicesprovides data (e.g. sensor data), which is transmitted to a Gate Pool,which includes a LR gateway and BLE gateway. The Gate Pool forwards thedata to platform Master Nodes for verification. Within the Master Nodes,which are connected to each other, a Vendor X node performs activitiesof transport recordation, invoice generation, billing generation anddata storage. After verification, if the Master Nodes approve, approvalis sent back to the Gate Pool, and data is sent to a user web service, auser app, a vendor analytic tool, or to vendor software, and thetransactions are recorded using a blockchain.

FIG. 3 shows an example in which a Vendor with an ID obtained byregistration with a platform makes available consumer devices. TheVendor pays by sending platform tokens to a bounty pool on the platform.Those consumer devices are used by users. Those consumer devicesgenerate data, which is sent to a gateway that is operated by a gatewayowner. The gateway owner provides received data to the platform. Billingis done by a masternodes (not shown). The gateway owner receives tokensfrom the platform bounty pool, in response to the invoices sent from thegateway to the vendor.

FIG. 4 shows example application areas.

FIG. 5 shows an example in which sensors in consumer devices send sensordata via BLE to a user smartphone; the user smartphone then transmitsthe sensor data to a platform. And sensors in other consumer devicessend sensor data via LoRaWAN to a user gateway; the user gateway thentransmits the sensor data to a platform.

FIG. 6 provides a solutions comparison, for an example of the platform.

FIG. 7 shows examples of supply chain applications.

FIG. 8 shows an example of a single product ecosystem.

FIG. 9A shows an example of a BLE tracking and counting sensor. FIG. 9Bshows an example of a BLE route tracking sensor. FIG. 9C shows anexample in which sensors are placed in villages/cities and on roadsalong the bus route.

FIG. 10 shows an example in which smartphones collect data via BLE fromdistributed sensors, in which the smartphones are used as gateways; datamay be collected when a smartphone is within a BLE range of a sensor.

FIG. 11 shows an example downlink flow.

FIG. 12 shows an example token flow.

FIG. 13 shows an example billing system which may include up to 6separate blockchains, if necessary: DeviceVendorMapping, DeviceType,PriceList, Transport, Invoice (including InvoiceDetails) and Payment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Blockchain-Based Unified Security Protocol for Machine-to-Machine (M2M)Communications

Brief Description:

Smartphone and personal computer (PC) users today are subscribed to anumber of services (e.g. security services), a lot of them operating ona subscription basis. They include: health monitoring, smartphone and PCsecurity apps, parental control systems and home/business security. Theproposed system, in an example, provides a 3-layer server structure tounify the data from all the services under a singular account andprovides an internal environment for secure data exchange service alongwith billing using cryptocurrency.

System Structure:

In an example, the system is based around a concept of cryptocurrencyand blockchain storage. An environment is created for a free (e.g.Ethereum or similar) blockchain based token circulation for two types oftokens:

-   -   1. Producer tokens—a one-time emitted tokens for the service        providers. They are purchased by the companies that own        different applications (e.g. security applications) and        hardware, to participate in the system.    -   2. End-user tokens—these are a substitute of dollar-value        subscription. They are tied both to the decentralized        environment of the proposed system and a dollar value of the        transaction payment. These tokens can have emission on the basis        of low availability.

Crypto tokens use a circulation system known as blockchain. A blockchainis a public ledger of all token transactions that have ever beenexecuted. It is constantly growing as ‘completed’ blocks are added to itwith a new set of recordings. The blocks are added to the blockchain ina linear, chronological order.

In an example, each node (e.g. a computer connected to the systemnetwork using a client that performs the task of validating and relayingtransactions) eventually gets a full copy of the blockchain, which getsdownloaded automatically upon joining the network. The blockchain hascomplete information about the addresses and their balances, right fromthe genesis block to the most recently completed block.

In an example, a typical operation cycle includes a computing node, aserver, a device transmitting the data and a sensor that produces thedata. A security device transfers the data to our system via a firstlayer service. The data gets aggregated and is transferred to the commonenvironment via the second layer. After that, the data is stored via ablockchain system. In an example implementation, a singular token servesas a transaction confirmation and is used to perform one transaction.Blockchain ensures every transaction is unique and secure. After thedata transfer is complete there is no way of falsifying the information.

In an example, the first development stage is an ICO (initial coinoffering). During this stage the service provides companies thepossibility to purchase the tokens to participate in the system. In anexample, the companies are allowed to purchase 20% of all tokensavailable; the remaining 80% are held within the system control programto be distributed with the growth of the number of companies involved.Companies that purchased a significant amount of the tokens may becomemembers of the controlling committee—a group that can put proposedchanges to influence tariffs within the system.

In an example, end-user tokens are continuously released as needed—theyare reusable and serve as a form of payment to the providers. Providersin turn are able to sell them to each other and users along withexchanging them into traditional currencies.

In an example, the system can sustain itself in both cases of additionalemission and no additional emission. A decision regarding additionalemission must be made within the operational cycle. With development ofthe system, more and more companies are expected to join the system.With every company joining, a single provider token value rises as theybecome limited and can only be replenished by the system's server.

Companies owning a large number of tokens may be included into amanaging committee. This committee is the only governing body of thesystem. It represents the community and can act through committeedecisions.

Decisions made by the committee include but are not limited to:

-   -   1. Additional emission    -   2. Decisions regarding the community interests    -   3. Blockchain usage and boundaries

This way, a user remains in control. This decentralized concept providesusers with rights to their own private information on security. Afterbeing uploaded to blockchain, a user's data is unfalsifiable. The datais secure and accessible by this user only. Every decision on using thisinformation by two services or sharing it in any way is made by theuser, not any operational service or third-party company. Usual usersare able to voice their interest and concerns to the committee,triggering proposals on any issue they might have.

IoT Connectivity Platform, e.g. Global IoT Connectivity Platform

In an example, the platform is a blockchain-powered platform to makemany things connected. The platform is a blockchain-powereddecentralized platform on top of multiple internet of things (IoT)connectivity solutions.

In an example, the platform is built to become a Domain Name System(DNS) of things—a platform integrating various connectivity standardsand connecting (e.g. billions of) devices across the globe. The platformuses crowdsourcing to gain coverage and help businesses effortlesslyadopt IoT technology in a most cost-effective way. The platform enhancesthe growth of the global IoT network coverage by bringing togethervendors and users, gateway owners and devices.

Benefits for IoT Market

The Platform Makes it Easy to Globally Expand Existing IoT Businesses

There is no need to negotiate with networks all over the world to expandgeographically. Manufacturers can sell devices worldwide. Businesses andintegrators can scale successful local cases to the global market.

The Platform Makes it Easy to Integrate IoT to Any Business

In an example, all devices will automatically be connected to thenetwork if they are in the platform's ledger. In an example, all deviceswill automatically be connected to the network if they are in theplatform's ledger, and if they are prepaid; if a device is notprepaid—it is not connected to the network: a gateway will not harvestthe data from it. Companies won't need to negotiate with connectivityproviders or deploy a new network if they want to deploy new sensors.

In an Example, the Platform Unlocks New IoT Application Areas

In an example, Low-Power Wide-Area Network (LPWAN) and Bluetoothconnectivity with worldwide coverage enable integration of sensors inday to day products. With these two technologies, companies can usesensors with low cost of a chip and a long battery lifetime.

The Platform Provides Businesses with an Ability to Collect New Types ofData

In an example, the platform Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) may usecustomers' smartphones as mobile gateways. This creates an opportunityfor business to collect more data about customer offline behavior.Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE, colloquially BLE, formerly marketedas Bluetooth Smart) is a wireless personal area network technologydesigned and marketed by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (BluetoothSIG) aimed at novel applications in the healthcare, fitness, beacons,security, and home entertainment industries. Compared to ClassicBluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy is intended to provide considerablyreduced power consumption and cost while maintaining a similarcommunication range.

Examples of Application Areas for the platform are: Smart cities;Agriculture; Usage data collection; Retail; Resource management;Transportation & Logistics; Customer experience analysis, andHumanitarian aid. Examples of Application Areas are shown in FIG. 1 .

Example Use Case: Transportation & Logistics

Package Delivery Tracking

Delivery businesses can provide clients with an accessible service ofcontrolling a cargo delivery at all stages of a journey. The platformmay provide logistics companies with worldwide LPWAN and Bluetoothconnectivity. LPWAN and Bluetooth sensors are cost-effective and have along battery life. Placing these sensors within the packages requires noalteration of the delivery process and improves the quality of servicesimultaneously providing the company with logistics insights.

End-to-End Visibility Into Delivery Processes.

Decreased delivery time and improved transportation efficiency areprovided, by tracking products «from supplier to client», e.g. from asupplier to a client. Granular data may be collected, such as: Timespent in stock; Time spent in delivery; Time to shelf.

Transportation & Logistics

Example Use Case: Construction Management & Buildings Maintenance

Construction and management companies may be able to seamlesslyimplement IoT solutions on construction sites or constructed buildings.Sensors connected to the platform can be installed seamlessly. Companiescould just place sensors where they need them. There is no need todeploy a network for them. All devices may automatically be connected tothe network if they are in the platform's ledger. Construction andmanagement companies can, for example:

-   -   (i) control the closure/opening of manholes, attics, stairwell        spaces in an apartment in constructed buildings;    -   (ii) control noise level and implement automated closed-circuit        television (CCTV) solutions on the buildings under construction.

Example Use Case: Retail

Globalizing IoT Solution

Companies that have successful local cases can scale them worldwide. Theplatform is roaming-free and in an example there is no need to updatedevice's firmware, so companies won't have additional costs in moving toother regions. It can be beneficial for any type of IoT, for example, amanufacturer of a carbonated beverages refrigeration monitoringequipment. A manufacturer could integrate temperature sensor &opening/closing counter and provide clients with information from thesesensors.

Example Use Case: Infrastructure Sharing

The platform provides current infrastructure players with theopportunity to earn extra revenue from an existing network.Infrastructure players can share an existing network with others and getbenefits from using other players' networks. Wide coverage provides anopportunity to propose a new IoT solution to existing clients. Usingother players' networks also cuts network development costs.

Benefits

The platform may provide Smart Cities with:

-   -   (i) seamless infrastructure deployment:    -   Cities can easily deploy a network and then expand coverage when        it is needed.    -   (ii) cost-effective connectivity solution        -   The platform's LR (long range network) can provide a            city-wide coverage with only a few gateways.        -   Cities can have a city-wide platform BLE coverage without            actually investing in infrastructure.    -   (iii) easy integration

Cities can seamlessly integrate new IoT solutions. When a new device orsensor is added to the platform's ledger, it is automatically providedwith network access.

Example application areas include: Environment monitoring; Security andsafety; Parking meters; Street lighting; Retail solutions; Utilityservices; Transportation; Waste management; Port logistics; Citizen datasharing. Example application areas are shown in FIG. 4 .

Example Use Case: Waste Management

Monitoring the waste collection in different parts of the city can helpmanage collection routes. In an example, sensors can be placed to obtainreal-time information on how full public bins are. In an example,sensors can be placed to collect real-time information on how fullpublic bins are, but the information may not be transferred to end usersin real time. This data allows for enhanced efficiency of trashcollection routes.

Example Use Case: Wastewater Management

Many cities face severe problems with water supply and management.Cities can reduce water loss by managing outdoor usage. This is donethrough installing sensors tracking rainfall, humidity, soilcomposition, topography, temperature, and sunlight. Coupling this datawith information about the landscape and weather prediction enables thepossibility to make smarter decisions about irrigation. Acquiring dataon water levels in pipes can reduce the amount lost to leakage andprevent new leaks. Water pressure can be controlled by embedding sensorsin water pipes throughout the distribution network and connecting themto pump control systems.

Example Use Case: Energy

Energy saving solutions is one of the most well-established IoTapplications. Energy management systems rely on smart meters, whichrelay information about lights and buildings energy usage back to acentral management system in order to efficiently allocate resources.This data also can be used to identify and address outages.

Example Use Case: Environmental Conditions

A city can install sensors on lampposts to monitor environmentalconditions including temperature, noise, and air quality. This data canbe used to manage accidents, identify patterns in microclimates, andmake predictions about vehicle and pedestrian traffic conditions.Moreover, these data sets can be available to the public, allowingcitizens to take partial community ownership in tracking and respondingto local environmental issues.

Example Use Case: Parking

Another common IoT application is tracking the availability of parkingspaces. Searching for a parking spot in a big city is frustrating forthe drivers and creates traffic jams. A city can use sensors todetermine if a parking space is available or not. This data can be sentdirectly to drivers via an application helping to guide the driverquicker to an available spot. This information is also valuable to thecity administration branch making decisions on parking system changes.

An Example of how we do it

-   -   1) The platform integrates with existing IoT networks into one        (e.g. uniform) virtual network and allows deployment of new        networks quickly and seamlessly using crowdsourcing.    -   2) All devices will automatically be connected to the network if        they are in the platform's ledger. Companies won't need to        negotiate with connectivity providers or deploy an own network        if they want to deploy new sensors.    -   3) The platform provides networks and gate owners with extra        revenue. We distribute revenue for data transfer between all        gate owners, e.g. based on the number of connections completed        through their gateways.

Platform Architecture Overview

The platform's software may act as a middleware between gateways andsensor owners. We make sure that data is being delivered to the rightdestination and everyone is paid.

In an example, Vendor X makes available for use a plurality of consumerdevices. The plurality of consumer devices provides data (e.g. sensordata), which is transmitted to a Gate Pool, which includes a pluralityof LR gateways and a plurality of BLE gateways. The Gate Pool forwardsthe data to platform Master Nodes for verification. Within the MasterNodes, which are connected to each other, a Vendor X node performsactivities such as transport recordation, invoice generation, billinggeneration and data storage. After verification, if the Master Nodesapprove, approval is sent back to the Gate Pool, and data is sent to,for example, a user web service, a user app, a vendor analytic tool, orto vendor software, and the transactions are recorded using ablockchain.

An example is shown in FIG. 2 .

In an example, sensors in consumer devices send sensor data via BLE to auser smartphone; the user smartphone then transmits the sensor data to aplatform. And sensors in other consumer devices send sensor data viaLoRaWAN to a user gateway; the user gateway then transmits the sensordata to a platform.

The platform may be designed to be protocol agnostic, for example it maywork over Bluetooth as well as LoRa or any other data transmissionprotocol.

An example is shown in FIG. 5 .

Billing and Payouts with the Platform

Gateway Owners Get Payment for Each Connection Made Through theirGateway

Manufacturers release devices and add their IDs to the platform'sledger. Gateway owners provide network access for those devices andcheck their IDs against the platform's ledger. Manufacturers cover theplatform's bills issued by participating gateways. The platform paysnetworks or gateway owners for their services.

In an example, a Vendor with an ID obtained by registration with aplatform makes available consumer devices. The Vendor pays by sendingplatform tokens to a bounty pool on the platform. Those consumer devicesare used by users. Those consumer devices generate data, which is sentto gateways that are operated by gateway owners. The gateway ownersprovide received data to the platform. Billing is done by a masternodes.Gateway may complain if they were billed incorrectly. The gateway ownersreceive tokens from the platform bounty pool, in response to theinvoices issued from the gateways to the vendors.

In an example, there are provided the following transport and billingcycles in the system:

-   -   1. Transport downlink cycle    -   a. User generates data    -   b. Gateway transfers data to the platform Master nodes    -   2. Transport uplink cycle    -   a. Vendor servers sends data to the platform Master nodes    -   b. The platform Master nodes keeps the uplink data    -   c. Gateways looks for uplink data    -   d. Gateway sends uplink data to a Vendor's devices    -   3. Billing cycle    -   a. At intervals, for example each two weeks, the platform Master        nodes are generating invoices from Gateway Owners to Vendors on        behalf of transport service that has been provided.    -   b. Each Vendor is paying each invoice in platform tokens.    -   c. In accordance with the invoices, all tokens are collected in        bounty pool.    -   d. After billing cycle is complete, Gateway Owners are paid for        their data transport services from bounty pool in accordance        with the invoices and in accordance with the the confirmation of        existence of the data transport services. For example, if a        gateway was online 80 hours during last billing cycle, but did        not transfer any data, it will receive a payment for the fact of        being online.

An example is shown in FIG. 3 .

Why Blockchain?

We use blockchain in order to exploit crowdsourcing. A blockchaintechnology is designed to build decentralized services.

Blockchain technology enables us to build the decentralized network. Noone owns this network and even the platform itself can't influence itdirectly.

Blockchain lets us cut costs. There are no administrative,infrastructure, service maintenance or setup costs.

Blockchain provides an out-of-the-box transparent billing system.

Blockchain can utilize decentralized storage solutions. All the data onthe transactions is shared by all members.

Blockchain allows for a permissionless platform state. The platformbrings together existing networks and newly installed gateways. Anyonecan become a part of the platform's network—data from the sensors can betransferred using any smartphone or compatible gateway.

In an Example, One Blockchain is Not Enough

A Transaction blockchain (e.g Exonum based) logs all data connectionsand data transfers.

A Billing blockchain (e.g. Ethereum based) issues invoices based on theinformation from the Transaction blockchain. The Billing blockchain:

-   -   processes and logs all payments    -   approves token payments to gateway owners.

A Master node approves subsequent data connections between devices andvendor networks.

Connectivity Solutions

The platform implements the platform's LR and the platform's BLEsolutions: in an example, combining them together makes for a completedata gathering solution covering entire businesses even across multiplecountries.

The platform launches with the platform's LR and the platform's BLE(e.g. as kits) and will later include support for other connectivitysolutions, increasing the number of devices served.

The platform's LR is based on LoRaWAN, in an example. It is mostsuitable for industrial and business applications where speed andreliability are critical. LoRaWAN is a media access control (MAC) layerprotocol for managing communication between LPWAN gateways and end-nodedevices, maintained by the LoRa Alliance.

The platform's LR is based on LoRaWAN technology designed for long rangecommunications. The platform brings together existing LPWAN networks andincentivizes private gateway owners who can join the platform's network.Any gateway could be added to the network and start transferring datafrom the platform's sensors instantly without any technical setup.

The platform's BLE is based on Bluetooth Low Energy. With customersmartphones acting as mobile gateways, it is most suitable fornoncritical consumer and big data applications, such as collecting largeamounts of data for later analysis.

The platform's BLE network is based on Bluetooth Low Energy technologyand uses the smartphones (e.g. of regular citizens) as BLE gateways.With a mobile APP with the platform's software development kit (SDK),any smartphone can transfer data from the smartphone when connected toplatform sensors without requiring additional action from a smartphone'suser.

The Platform's Solutions Characteristics

The Platform's LR

Long battery life—more than 3-50 times lifetime advantage over aGSM/3G/4G network. Low cost of the sensors—$5-$15 per sensor. Easy tocover big distances—extended efficiency, and wide cell radius (up to 15km), no need to deploy a lot of cells to cover a big territory. Datacollection cost close to 0 if you have your own gateways.

The Platform's BLE

Long battery life—1-5 years, depends on the specific use case. Low costof the sensors—$3-$10 per sensor. Very low data collection cost.

FIG. 6 provides a solutions comparison, for example of the platform. 2Gand 3G have good range and good scalability. But 2G and 3G both havepoor battery life and price. WiFi has good price, but poor range,battery life and scalability. In contrast, the platform described herehas good range, good battery life, good price and good scalability.

A Blockchain-Powered (e.g. Global) IoT Connectivity Platform

Unlocking the Potential of IoT

Billions of devices are already connected to the network and aretransmitting data. However, approximately 99% of possible datacollection points are still unconnected due to limitations of currentIoT solutions. The platform is designed to make many more thingsconnected by making connectivity accessible and empowering a developmentof relatively cheap sensors with a long battery life.

A Crowdsourced DNS of Things

In an example, the platform is built to become a default IoT solutionfor connecting billions of devices. With the platform, sensors can beintegrated everywhere to gather valuable data from every corner, or fromsteps of a supply chain. The platform allows the possibility tointegrate sensors anywhere to gather valuable data by makingconnectivity accessible & empowering a development of relatively cheapsensors with a long battery life. The platform is designed to make manythings connected by making connectivity accessible and empowering adevelopment of relatively cheap sensors with a long battery life.

Examples of supply chain applications include applications in: Real-timefleet management; Cargo integrity monitoring; Optimized warehouseworkloads; Inventory tracking & analytics; End-to-end visibility intodelivery process; Smart labels; Predictive maintenance; Storageconditions control. Examples of supply chain applications are shown inFIG. 7 .

Use Case Example: Optimized Warehouse Workloads

The platform helps improve workload of warehousing equipment and assetsby creating a connected warehouse system. Warehousing operations can beeasily observed and coordinated, down to the level of individualphysical assets and stored items.

Use Case Example: Single Product Ecosystem

Inexpensive sensors coupled with multiple connectivity solutions allowfor a single product ecosystem: unlocking the potential to analyze thesupply chain at every step. The platform allows the possibility tointegrate suppliers, deliveries, and end clients in a single ecosystem.Example aspects are: Connected Assets; Connected Fleet; ConnectedInfrastructure; Connected Markets; Connected People. An example singleproduct ecosystem is shown in FIG. 8 .

Supply Chain Case Example

The platform may be used in a pharmacy supply chain solution. A lot ofthe pharmaceutical compounds are extremely temperature-sensitive.Delivering them to various climate areas presents a unique opportunityfor using ultra-portable sensors and BLE to control the transportationconditions, environment and vaccine safety. The platform makes itpossible to track every separate box. Data may be collected along thewhole delivery route.

Crowdsourcing Infrastructure

The platform crowdsources its infrastructure: data from sensors istransferred using smartphones of regular citizens or any compatiblegateway. Citizens themselves become the infrastructure by installing anyapp with the platform's SDK, or installing a Gateway at home. Theplatform crowdsources its infrastructure making Bluetooth Low Energy andLoRaWAN accessible by expanding the networks and leveling accessconditions.

Very Low Connectivity Cost

Infrastructure (e.g. crowdsourced) & the blockchain nature of theplatform allows the possibility to lower the connection cost to almostzero. Low connectivity cost alongside flexible tarification perconnection allows for collection of previously unavailable data types.The permissionless nature of the platform creates nearly perfectcompetition which means the lowest possible price for end users.

Ultra-Efficient Sensors

The platform utilizes LPWAN and BLE standards which are energy efficientprotocols. With the platform, cities can use cheap, small (tiny as asticker) and energy efficient (up to 5 years without charging) sensorswhich can be placed anywhere. With the platform, cities can use cheap(5-10 times cheaper compared to GSM), small (tiny as a sticker) andenergy efficient (up to 5 years without charging) sensors which can beplaced anywhere.

Permissionless

In an example, the platform makes it easy to launch new IoT productsthrough its permissionless nature. In an example, all devices willautomatically be connected if they are added to the ledger via thewebsite. In an example, all devices will automatically be connected ifthey are added to the ledger via the website, and are prepaid.

Examples of the Platform's Impact on a City

Innovation: The environment to develop innovative IoT businesses in thecity.

Happiness: Creating tailored experiences by sharing data with citizensand businesses.

Efficiency: Decreasing energy & resource consumption by automaticallymanaging them.

Safety: Improving monitoring and decreasing response time.

Innovation

In an example, the platform's permissionless nature along with lowper-transaction fees creates a perfect environment for deploying newproducts. Adding the platform to a robust city ecosystem makes it anultimate playground for new smart city projects.

Examples of Happiness Cases

Having the platform as a connectivity standard, a city could collectmore valuable data. This data can be used for big data analysis or canbe shared with citizens or businesses.

Seat Occupation

Sensors can be installed in seats of metro cars & public transport. Thisinformation could enable a more even distribution of passengers withinthe metro car.

-   -   Passengers at a station can select the car considering the load;    -   Passengers at the train will be able to find a seat.

Parking

A city could improve happiness by providing citizens with informationabout the availability of parking places. Drivers would be able to makeinformed choices about how it is better to park at their destination,reducing commute time and traffic clutter.

Examples of Safety Cases

Illegal Actions Detection

The platform is secure enough to be included into the emergency servicesdaily work:

-   -   Managing break-ins and container openings using breakable or        multiple use sensors    -   Placing thin sticker beacons on alcohol bottles to register        trespassing into hotel/bar grounds.

People Counters

Collecting data on the amount of people currently occupying publicspaces. Useful for emergencies.

Efficiency Cases Examples

Smart Irrigation

Cities can reduce water loss by managing outdoor usage. This is donethrough installing sensors tracking rainfall, humidity, soilcomposition, topography, temperature, and sunlight. Coupling this datawith information about the landscape and weather prediction enablessmarter decisions about irrigation.

Connected Lighting

Connected street lamps enabling cities to enhance the control andperformance of every street lamp. With this data a city could eliminatevisual inspection and react to issues faster.

Examples of application areas are shown in FIG. 1 .

The platform's network can be seamlessly and quickly deployed in a newregion.

Smart Car Insurance Example

This provides a way to increase client loyalty and lifetime value (LTV)using the insurance tracker.

Usage-Based Insurance

Insurance tracker provides you with an opportunity to proposepay-as-you-drive price plans to the clients. In short, it means theinsurance fee is dynamic according to how the driver acts on the road.

Increase your clientele: minimal starting prices and payments based onactual usage.

Improve loyalty programs: custom tailored price plans based on almostreal-time risk assessment.

How does it Work?

An insurance tracker is a small sticker that has a sensor embedded intoit. Its size makes it easy use on any kind of car by simply sticking itto the windshield.

Insurance tracker gathers and transfers data on car usage:

-   -   Number of days the car was used    -   Intense speed up and slow down sequences, sharp turns and lane        switches performed    -   Insurance tracker collects no personal data.

Tech Specs

The platform provides the technology to gather data by crowdsourcingconnectivity. It works using the BLE technology supported by anysmartphone that automatically becomes a proximity-activated router onceit has a platform SDK app installed.

Protection:

-   -   Data encryption    -   Anti-tamper protection    -   Anti-removal protection

ACTIVE TIME: 1-3 years

PRODUCTION COSTS: $3-$4.5 (depends on particular implementation)

DATA TRANSFER PROTOCOL: the platform's BLE

Use Case Example: Crowdsourcing Connected Transport in a Country

PROBLEM: Some organizations (eg. United Nations) aim to improve thepublic transportation systems in the developing countries. Most of thecountries in question do not possess full maps of existing routes.Without any actual data on passenger movement there is no way to:

-   -   Plan new routes    -   Set additional buses on existing routes

Solution 1: Connected Transport

Utilizing the platform's BLE package (one of the platform's solutions),organizations (e.g. government bodies or United Nations) will be able toinstall sensors on any transport. The platform will provide internetconnectivity to all sensors in any particular transport. The platform'sBLE provides crowdsourced connectivity. Any smartphone positioned closeenough to a transport or traveling inside could transfer data fromonboard sensors. Data will be transferred without requiring anyadditional actions from the smartphone's owner.

The platform's BLE uses the Bluetooth Low Energy technology supported byany smartphone. Using any smartphone's Bluetooth module as a proximityactivated router, the platform can cover sprawling areas with internetaccess for the sensors. All that we require is to add the platform's SDKto any popular application in the region. The platform's SDK can beintegrated in any app of your choice, be it a utility one or a game.

There are 2 basic options when it comes to sensors for these specificconditions:

BLE Tracking and Counting Sensor

Examples of data types collected:

-   -   1. Number of passengers entering and leaving    -   2. Overall passenger numbers per route    -   3. Route and travel parameters.

An example is shown in FIG. 9A.

BLE Route Tracking Sensor

Example data types collected:

-   -   Route and travel parameters.    -   An example is shown in FIG. 9B.

These sensors can be placed on government-issued buses or be presentedto a private company, in exchange for benefits. Benefits can include,but are not limited to, monetary rewards, along with discounts for fuel,etc.

Solution 2: Traffic Data Collection System

Alternatively, you could use the platform's LR instead of the platform'sBLE solution. The platform's LR kit works on top of the LoRaWAN. Theplatform's LR can connect devices across a large area with up to 10-15km radius with a single gateway. Having transport equipped with theplatform's LR gateways will enable coverage over large territories.

The platform's LR gateway with 3G module could be installed on atransport vehicle. A Gateway will continuously transfer data from thesensors inside the vehicle (eg. bus) (it could be sensors like inSOLUTION 1). More sensors can be placed in villages/cities and on roadsalong the bus route. An example is shown in FIG. 9C.

Some Examples Are:

-   -   1. Traffic counters    -   2. Pedestrian counters    -   3. Water usage counters or solar battery power fuel gauges, etc

LR solution will require some installation expenses but might be overallmore valuable to the region.

Bluetooth

In Bluetooth Class 1, the maximum permitted power is 100 mW, and thetypical range is 100 m. In Bluetooth Class 2, the maximum permittedpower is 2.5 mW, and the typical range is 10 m. In Bluetooth Class 3,the maximum permitted power is 1 mW, and the typical range is 1 m. InBluetooth Class 4, the maximum permitted power is 0.5 mW, and thetypical range is 0.5 m.

Distributed Sensor Network Using Bluetooth (e.g. BLE)

Sensor Network Limitations and Opportunities

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of e.g. devices, vehicles,buildings, and other items containing electronics, software, sensors,and network connectivity which enable those objects to collect andexchange data. The IoT market is set for rapid growth. Cisco's VisualNetworking Index predicts 933 million M2M connections worldwide by 2019,while Analysis Mason expects up to 3 billion by 2023.

Internet of Things

In the future, it is predicted there will be more than 24 billion IoTdevices on Earth. That's approximately four devices for every humanbeing on the planet. $267 billion will be spent on IoT technologies,products, and services, it is predicted.

Technology

Bluetooth

Bluetooth has always been the most widespread access technology suitablefor IoT. Low cost of user equipment, and swift evolution advanced by awell-organized user community allow the standards to remain an integralelement of the market landscape. Battery-efficient radio technology,combined with small die sizes make BLE an excellent choice for a widevariety of devices.

LPWAN

The IoT market is overcoming its current limitations with a Low PowerWide Area Network (LPWAN) protocol. LPWAN is a prime IoT solution thatoffers extended battery life (3-50 times lifetime advantage over aGSM/3G/4G network), improved efficiency, and wider cell radius (e.g. upto 15 km). LPWAN may encompass LoRaWAN, Sigfox, and IoT Narrow Band.

Listing of Aspects or Limitations

LoRa WAN

-   -   Large number of separate networks    -   Lacks interoperability and consensus

IoT Narrow Band

-   -   Not currently available    -   Developed as a traditional telco solution

Sigfox

-   -   Proprietary technology    -   One owner, no direct market access

Bluetooth

-   -   Very small footprint (˜10 m)    -   Peer-to-peer (P2P) topology—there is no way to create a local        network of devices    -   Mesh functionality

Bluetooth Mesh Networking

Bluetooth mesh networking is a protocol based upon Bluetooth Low Energythat allows for many-to-many communication over Bluetooth radio.Communication is carried in the messages that may be up to 384 byteslong, when using Segmentation and Reassembly (SAR) mechanism, but mostof the messages fit in one segment, that is 11 bytes. Each messagestarts with an opcode, which may be a single byte (for specialmessages), 2 bytes (for standard messages), or 3 bytes (forvendor-specific messages).

Every message has a source and a destination address, determining whichdevices process messages. Devices publish messages to destinations whichcan be single things/groups of things/everything.

Each message has a sequence number that protects the network againstreplay attacks.

Each message is encrypted and authenticated. Two keys are used to securemessages: (1) network keys—allocated to a single mesh network, (2)application keys—specific for a given application functionality, e.g.turning the light on vs reconfiguring the light.

Messages have a time to live (TTL). Each time a message is received andretransmitted, TTL is decremented which limits the number of “hops”,eliminating endless loops.

Bluetooth Mesh is a flood network. It is based on the nodes relaying themessages: every relay node that receives a network packet thatauthenticates against a known network key that is not in message cache,that has a TTL≥2 can be retransmitted with TTL=TTL−1. A message cache isused to prevent relaying messages recently seen.

Bluetooth Mesh has a layered architecture, with multiple layers.

Example Platform as a Solution

An example platform allows you to integrate existing IoT networks ordeploy new ones, becoming your own in-house service provider.

An example platform works on top of two “last-mile” technologies.

-   -   1) LoRaWAN—most suitable for industrial and business        applications where speed and reliability are critical.    -   2) Bluetooth Low Energy—with customer smartphones acting as        mobile gateways. It is most suitable for non-critical consumer        and big data applications, such as collecting data for later        analysis.

Device Manufacturer

With an example platform, device manufacturers could easily becomeglobal service providers. Your IoT devices will work anywhere, withoutlimitations and the need to forge a patchwork of complicated contractswith carriers.

Gateway Owner

Anyone could provide IoT connectivity and earn revenue with a gateway ofan example platform. You'll get a share of transaction revenue for eachconnection made through your gateway.

In an example platform, there are two types of gateways:

-   -   Dedicated LoRaWAN gateways of the platform for LoRa-compatible        devices.    -   Smartphone gateway application of the platform for        platform-enabled Bluetooth LE sensors.

User

Global coverage for your IoT devices at cut-throat rates? No problem!

The platform's systems are ready to handle both private and businessapplications, anywhere from smart homes, to smart production lines, tosmart cities.

All data may be end-to-end encrypted, in compliance with industrialstandards.

Example Workflow

-   -   Manufacturers release devices and add their IDs to the        platform's ledger    -   Customers buy those devices and begin using them    -   Gateway owners provide network access for those devices and        check their IDs against the platform's ledger    -   Manufacturers cover platform's bills issued by participating        gateways    -   The platform pays the gateway owners for their services

Example of how does it Work?

An example platform system includes the following core elements:

-   -   IOT DEVICES—Radio Frequency (RF)-enabled IoT devices connect to        the platfom's gateways from as far as 15 km.    -   GATEWAYS—LPWAN gateways and Bluetooth LE-enabled phones are used        to mine coins or tokens during connections and expand the        network.    -   BLOCKCHAIN—Core (Platform as a Service: PaaS) billing and        application browser that executes the platform's protocol.    -   EXAMPLE PLATFORM—Blockchain environment used to create a        Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) along with secure        data storage.

IoT Devices

Device market is filled with IoT devices enabled with various radioaccess technologies. They all need to be networked! Example IoTapplications include:

-   -   Utility meters    -   Parking sensors    -   Water/gas leak detectors    -   Gunshot detectors    -   Air quality and weather sensors    -   Attendance counters (big data!)    -   Panic buttons    -   Public transportation trackers    -   Street and traffic lights    -   Home & office security

Gateways

An example platform employs specially designed gateways to offer IoTconnectivity. An example platform offers two types of gateways: a LPWANbase station design with ˜15 km cell radius, and a smartphone app thatprovides access over Bluetooth LE, collecting data from surrounding IoTdevices. In an example, all client devices that connect to auser-deployed gateway will earn the gateway owner additional tokens.

Example Platform

An example platform is designed with ease-of-use in mind, and includesone, or more, or all of the following:

-   -   Access for multiple client devices can be paid for from a single        account    -   Built-in wallet    -   Devices and connections can be controlled by a single click    -   Coverage area mapping and deployment planning out of the box    -   Vote to add support for new radio access standards and more

Example Including Blockchain

A decentralized system gives everyone an opportunity to get involved.Device manufacturers can become internet providers, users can becomedevice manufacturers, and everyone can become a small-scale celloperator. A token economy returns all equipment & service expenditurestraight to users that expand our network by installing gateways.

Use Cases Examples

Affordable security—Faster emergency response, improved traffic controland response routines.

Smart buildings—A smart home for everyone, transparent management formunicipalities. Lights are always on, and the utility services arebetter than ever.

Supermarkets—Improve loyalty, keep track of inventory, and offer morechoice. Learn what's in demand, keep things in stock, and keep customershappy.

On the production line—Monitor your equipment to create optimalworkflows and maintenance schedule.

Outside the factory—Use additional sensors to know exactly when repairsare needed and who to dispatch.

Inside business processes—Deliver a better experience by designingdata-driven solutions and viable sales plans.

Stadiums—Manage seating arrangements, maintenance schedules and evensnack vending points to improve the overall customer experience.

Example IoT Toolkit

An example platform BLE toolkit is a solution for big data applications.Typical application: collecting information for later analysis. Anexample platform BLE toolkit includes open source beacon base stationwith smartphones acting as mobile gateways. An example platform LRtoolkit is well-suited for industrial and business applications wherespeed and reliability are the prime concerns. Typical application:transportation in a smart city. An example platform LR toolkit includesan open source gateway to provide LPWAN connections.

Problem: collect data from distributed Bluetooth sensors using multiplemobile phones as gateways. A schematic example solution is provided inFIG. 10 . In FIG. 10 , smartphones are collecting data via BLE fromdistributed sensors, in which the smartphones are used as gateways; datamay be collected when a smartphone is within a BLE range of a sensor. Inan example solution, smartphones collect data via BLE from distributedsensors, in which the smartphones are used as gateways; data may becollected when a smartphone is within a BLE range of a sensor.

There are three example types of connection in a Bluetooth protocol:

-   -   Advertising (beacon)—one way communication from “sensor” to        “user device”    -   Two-way communication between trusted devices    -   Mesh (Bluetooth 5)

Traditionally to connect to a sensor from a user device you need toauthorize the sensor. Another issue is there is no guarantee that datarouting application is running in the background on iOS or Androidsmartphone. In an example, the platform's BLE solves this by usinghybrid beacon mode. In this mode a “sensor” sends beacon advertisingsignal when it's not connected to the smartphone. The platform'ssmartphone application sets up a geofence zone to all platform BLEsensors, so it runs a small part of code each time when a smartphoneenters sensor advertising zone. (A geofence is a virtual perimetercorresponding to a real-world geographic area.) This part of the code isresponsible for data routing—so it connects to the sensor, downloads thesensor data and sends it to the destination (eg. in the cloud).

Each sensor could have an ID relating to the platform and a secure keyin internal memory, and all data sent through the user smartphone may beend-to-end (sensor to the cloud) encrypted implying the user can't readit until he has necessary key for the sensor. A sensor key may also beused for correct accounting of the routed data—so user might be rewardedfor the routed data amount.

By implementing this scheme, we could deploy multiple Bluetooth sensorswhich could be connected to multiple smartphones acting as gateways tothe sensor data destination. And there is no need to pair a specificsensor with a specific smartphone.

Example System Description and Structure

The platform is a service platform that allows you e.g. to deploycity-wide IoT networks in a decentralized manner. In comparison to atraditional telecom approach, the platform provides you cost-effectiveand rapid deployment.

Our vision is: interoperable and transparent connectivity for cities,individual households and major enterprises alike.

Today, providing connection services in any capacity requires a largeinvestment to establish initial low-range base station and receiverinfrastructure along with maintenance, electricity costs and challengingsoftware. It is predicted that the City-scale IoT market will grow to 25billion USD by 2021.

The platform deals with every market participant—as in the case of usualconnectivity infrastructure we deal with gateway owners, serviceproviders, and hardware manufacturers. Within the platform anyone canbecome a service provider and get revenue through every connection,billing other users within the active range of your connectivity node.All connections are recorded within the common ledger creating atransparent billing.

-   -   Hardware manufacturers—an opportunity to sell devices worldwide        with no need to talk to LPWAN providers. With the help of the        platform, hardware manufacturers could easily become service        providers as soon they are able to offer a world-wide        connectivity package together with their devices.    -   Current LPWAN providers—will benefit from seamless worldwide        roaming and easier end-customer devices sign-up procedure.    -   Private gateway owners—gain profits from anyone who uses the        gateway within active range.    -   Infrastructure owners/Smart cities—select most affordable IoT        solution and deploy it within weeks.

The platform provides a most transparent and secure way to build IoTinfrastructure. This solves two major tasks for somebody to become aprovider—billing and security, while preserving market transparency. Ourvision is interoperable and transparent connectivity for cities,households, individual devices, and major enterprises alike.

Example of how it Works

The platform works with every market player, including gateway owners,service providers, and hardware manufacturers. Within our solution,anyone can become a service provider and receive revenue with everyconnection, billing other users within the active range of their gatewayor Bluetooth LE smartphone. All sessions are recorded and stored withinthe common ledger, enabling fully transparent billing.

Today, providing IoT connectivity requires not only substantial initialinvestment to deploy low-range base stations and receiverinfrastructure, but also extra operational expenses: maintenance,electricity, and software support. By 2021, the market of city-scale IoTis predicted to reach to US $25 billion.

-   -   With the help of the platform, hardware manufacturers could        easily become service providers as soon as they offer a global        connectivity package with their devices.    -   Current LPWAN providers: Benefit from seamless worldwide roaming        and easier onboarding procedures for end customers.    -   Private gateway and BLE smartphone owners: Earn revenue from        anyone who relies on your gateway within its active range.    -   Infrastructure owners/Smart cities: Choose the most affordable        IoT solution and deploy it in mere weeks.

The platform offers a global platform, a reference design, andopen-source software for coverage mapping and planning, access control,logging, billing, and handling of smart contracts. Example businesssectors using IoT devices are enterprise, government/infrastructure andhome.

Example User Roles

Device User

Last level of user is the end user. An end user acquires devices anduses them in accordance to manufacturers policies with any node aroundthe world. The end traffic costs are extremely low, there are no roamingcharges and there is the same format and high battery efficiencyanywhere.

Users can tackle any concern using the voting mechanics and thecommittee of the platform at their disposal. That creates a trueuser-owned, decentralized network run by its own customers.

End user to device producer relationship is not included into theconstraints of the network of the platform. It can be a separate serviceor a free-to-use arrangement. Our network creates the opportunity tocreate cheaper devices and provide active usage within theinfrastructure of multiple nodes. Device producers and node owners mayoperate within the boundaries of cryptocurrency transactions while theend user does not, for example.

A typical user can use any node within range, all of which may be ownedby individual users. As a node owner, a user may be free to set histariff on services and internet access for anybody using his node. Allof the in-system transactions use crypto-tokens and generally work intwo ways:

-   -   Users with an access point purchase traffic quotas from the        major token stakeholders    -   Users, taking advantage of connection points pay to the        providing users for the amount of traffic used.

All of this may be controlled by blockchain—the most secure way oftracking contractual obligations online.

Example Device Manufacturer

In an example, the platform is a new generation physical layer formesh-networks with an internet connection with M2M capabilities made toupdate the internet access worldwide. It utilizes base stations with lowcost and high effectiveness to create long-range communication chirpspread spectrum modulation. This provides for unprecedented ranges of upto 15 km range, while maintaining a possibility of working for decadesfrom a small power source.

While it's not the only network system to utilize this protocol to date,the platform is based around a 3-layer (long-range star) serverarchitecture, providing an ability to unify any kind of differentnetworks and connection standards using base stations. This provides forextremely high integration possibilities with low end-user costs, highscalability, great connection speed and quality.

Example Node Owner

A hardware infrastructural level are the node owners. Node owners arealso miners in the network of the platform. They use cheap networkstations to enlarge the network coverage while simultaneously receivinga percentage of every connections worth. This is a major part ofcommunity—a smart household would benefit greatly from owning a privatenode and all the while acquiring extra income. A large-scale user (likea skiing resort, city or a factory) would create a network that canserve the whole area around them.

Node Owner is a “Miner”

As the device producers get the opportunity to create cheap devices,service providers get to create access points using cheap and effectivenetwork nodes. Any individual person is able to purchase and install thenode in an apartment or even outside. This kind of user is a node owner.If the node is active and exchanges data with the devices inside thenetwork, a node owner acquires coins or tokens. The more nodes owned andtraffic provided—the more coins or tokens are received.

A node can be purchased as a boxed and assembled product, but can beeasily obtained and assembled by a person with no special knowledge. Acomplete document will hold a diagram for assembling a compliant nodeunit.

Committee

In an example, the platform has a foundation committee which regulatesacceptance of the protocols and hardware for nodes in a such way thatonly accepted nodes receive an additional bounty for being the part ofthe network. This is done for the purpose of scam protection (e.g. whena user sets up a very cheap useless node to get bounty) and adoption ofnew technologies and protocols.

Voting may be available for anyone with a token share of e.g. more than10 000 MOE. (1 MOE is one token unit).

Votes may be for:

-   -   Approving budgets for software (SW) development    -   Approving budget for the platform's Foundation team    -   Approving new protocol adoptions for different locations (bonus        MOE)    -   Approving hardware adoptions for new locations (bonus MOE)    -   Approving protocol and hardware retention for certain locations        (thus no more bonus MOE)    -   Setting up a minimal location-based access price.    -   Setting up a hard minimal price for any location.

Voting may be done via blockchain by sending a small amount of MOE to acertain address. 10 000 MOE may be counted as 1 vote. A share of 10 000000 MOE may be counted as 100 votes. Pooling may be acceptable. Theplatform's foundation itself may use up to 100 votes.

Example Data flow

Main actors, in an example:

-   -   IoT device, produced by specific Vendor with the identification        in the blockchain and encrypted MineId    -   Gateway could be manufactured, or assembled by anyone who can        add a Gateway SDK of the platform to the Gateway Firmware to be        able to communicate with blockchain.    -   Blockchain trustless distributed database with the transactions        from all the devices.    -   Masternode is a blockchain application server that processes        transactions    -   Server managed by a particular vendor that receives encrypted        data from the Gateway or from the Blockchain

Example Uplink Flow:

-   -   1. Vendor server creates an uplink message for the particular        DeviceId at the Vendor's masternode.    -   2. Masternode creates uplink transaction request in the        Blockchain, each uplink request shall be marked with the        Gateways which already processed this specific DeviceId before.    -   3. Gateways are checking blockchain for an uplink requests with        the specific GatewayId.    -   4. In case if uplink request for the specific Gateway is found,        Gateway stores the uplink message locally.    -   5. Gateway is waiting for the specific device with the specific        DeviceId to send the data.    -   6. When Device is sending the data, Gateway responds with the        uplink message and confirms the uplink transaction request.

Example Downlink Flow

-   -   1. Device encrypts the Data    -   2. Device encrypts MineId    -   3. Device makes the package with DeviceId, encrypted MineId, and        encrypted Data    -   4. Device broadcasts the package    -   5. One or many Gateways are receiving the package    -   6. Gateway checks DeviceId against local device blacklist    -   7. Gateway checks DeviceId against device blacklist pulled from        the blockchain    -   8. Gateway checks DeviceId against device-vendor mapping from        the blockchain    -   9. Gateway initializes new transaction in the blockchain with        DeviceId and encrypted MineId    -   10. Masternode checks for initialized transactions    -   11. Masternode checks GatewayId against Gateway blacklist from        the blockchain    -   12. Masternode checks DeviceId against DeviceId blacklist from        the blockchain to prevent fraud    -   13. Masternode checks DeviceId against Device-Vendor mapping    -   14. Masternode makes an attempt to decrypt MineId    -   15. Masternode validates decrypted MineId    -   16. Masternode accepts transaction    -   17. Gateway checks the blockchain for accepted transactions with        specific GatewayId    -   18. Gateway sends encrypted data to the specific Vendor's server

An example is shown in FIG. 11 .

Another case is possible for vendors, who might prefer to store thedownlink data in the blockchain; in that case Gateway will store thedata in the blockchain right after transaction is accepted.

Example Token Flow

Main Actors:

There is a Vendor representative, who is responsible for managingbilling and data transport for specific Vendor's device. Vendorrepresentative flow, in an example, is as follows:

-   -   1. Create a wallet in the blockchain.    -   2. Top up the wallet with coins or tokens of the platform.    -   3. Register devices produced by a specific vendor in the        blockchain, add each device to a Device-Vendor mapping.    -   4. In case if specific Gateway is making invalid        transactions—ban the gate.    -   5. Manage cryptographic keys to decrypt messages from devices.

There is a Gate owner, who might have one or many gateways and isresponsible for gate maintenance. Gate representative flow, in anexample, is as follows:

-   -   1. Create a wallet in the blockchain.    -   2. Register each gate in the blockchain with the Gateway Owner's        wallet.    -   3. Get GateIds from the blockchain.    -   4. Set Gate Id for each Gateway.    -   5. Monitor transactions made by Gateways.    -   6. Get reward for transactions processed.

An example is shown in FIG. 12 .

Example Billing System

An example is shown in FIG. 13 .

An example billing system may include up to 6 separate blockchains:

-   -   DeviceVendorMapping—A storage of all device IDs that are a part        of the platform. IsActive flag is used for accepting device        transactions when vendor managed to pay for all the previous        transactions.    -   DeviceType—Each vendor device type.    -   PriceList—Service price for each type of device.    -   Transport—Blockchain that holds information on completed        transport transactions holding a lot of data including an        IsConfirmed flag that means that a package was successfully        delivered from the device to a vendor.    -   Invoice—Blockchain that holds information on vendor and gate        account transactions including InvoiceDetails for further        check-up.    -   Payment—Blockchain to collect payment status info.

Billing system process and rules are the following, in an example:

-   -   1. the Vendor includes all of the Device ID's into the Device        Vendor Mapping blockchain.    -   2. Vendor divides devices into types, creating separate        connection prices with the price list stored within the        blockchain. The platform's Foundation defines the minimum price        that is stored within the blockchain.    -   3. Master Nodes approve the valid transactions, writes them into        the Transport blockchain and signs the block.    -   4. Based on the signed transport block, Master Nodes create        transactions in the Invoice blockchain. Every input is a        transaction invoice from every Gateway to every Vendor according        to the price list.    -   5. If the last signed transport block has no transactions that        are not linked to the particular invoice, Master Nodes signs the        block in the Invoice blockchain.    -   6. Based on the last block in the Invoice blockchain a new block        in the Payment blockchain is created.    -   7. Vendor Master Nodes pay the invoices through the Ethereum        wallets of their gates and write the Ethereum transaction ID's        into the Payment blockchain. Other Master Nodes confirm the        payment amounts—if the payment sum is equal or larger of that in        the invoice—payment transaction is approved. A single invoice        might be paid with the multiple Ethereum transactions.    -   8. As soon as every Invoice transaction has a confirmed Payment        blockchain transaction, Master Nodes can sign the block in        Payment blockchain.    -   9. If more than one block is in the payment queue and the        Payments block is not signed because of payment delays or        invalidity, such invoices are transferred to the next block with        a “delayed payment” attribute.    -   10. If the payment with a “delayed payment” attribute is not        signed during X amount of time all of the vendor's devices in        DeviceVendorMapping are marked as IsActive=False and the        Gateways will not process the transactions from that vendor        until the debt is paid.    -   11. Rewards Pool has a Gate and a Vendor account at the same        time. Rewards Pool issues invoices to all the vendors and all        the Gateways issue invoices to the Rewards Pool to gain Rewards.    -   12. The platform's Foundation has a separate blockchain that        holds information on Rewards. The platform's Foundation issues        invoice to all the Vendors.

Example of a Token Economy

-   -   1. Tokens are used in the transactions within the platform.    -   2. Connection prices are pre-fixed by the vendor so that all the        costs can be calculated in advance.    -   3. Reward Pool allocates resources for the optimal functionality        of the network. Reward pool uses a percentage of transaction sum        total.    -   4. Rules for the reward pool are defined by the committee.    -   5. Connection price depends on the device type, connection mode        and is defined by the vendor through adding a list of device        types and prices to the blockchain by the Vendor.    -   6. Gates might not approve connections that are too cheap.    -   7. In this model the Vendor is interested in active connections        and data processing.    -   8. At the same time higher connection price not only gives a        priority in connection but adds more value to the network        through a 10% protocol fee.    -   9. Minimum connection price is set for example by Foundation to        prevent scamming.    -   10. Gateways compete for connections providing a certain level        of quality of service (QoS) and transmitting the blocks first.    -   11. A single Master Node can't choose a single Gateway to issue        payments to.    -   12. We expect that connection price will drop to the point of        minimum economic viability.    -   13. The platform's committee has the ability to prioritize some        gates by adding a certain number of transactions to priority        nodes (for example, using a new protocol or located in network        development sites). In this case, the resource allocation        function of the pool takes into account these transactions in        the normalization coefficient.    -   14. The platform's Committee can vote for certain decision using        pre-installed voting mechanics.

Case Studies Examples

-   -   1. Wearables—fitness    -   2. Smart city

The platform may establish a solid infrastructure based on originalequipment manufacturer (OEM) platform solutions—LoraWAN gateways, eachcover up to 1500 devices simultaneously. We estimate an average cityhaving 40 km in diameter and 1 million of inhabitants will have about10000 gateways enabling 100× full coverage of any place in the city with10× node availability. The platform may also include a masternodesoftware that is able to receive and validate messages sent through theplatform's protocol. One master node is able to handle up to 2 thousandmessages per second, thus handling more than 1 million of smart devicessuch as lamp posts.

The platform's partners with local city government promote new value fora smart city. The platform may require no setup fee for theinfrastructure of the smart city and introduces a very competitivepricing. A Government Authority may impose any regulations for gateways.The platform offers a protocol and software for free, allowing thecollaboration with local companies which implement and support smartcity solutions. Smart city case enables a lot of devices, empowering theeconomy.

The gateway coverage and profit is ensured by a special bounty fund madefor the platform's pioneers. The main aim of bounty fund is to supportearly gateway owners before the amount of smart devices will reach agateway payback point. The platform's framework is capable to supportmost of the LPWAN standards and chip technologies such as LoRaWAN andSigfox. Due to trustless distributed blockchain technology, the platformis focused on both: cutting the costs of smart device maintenance, andincreasing the coverage compared to private vendor solutions.

Early-bird device manufacturers benefit from gateway owners who aremotivated by crypto economy, token growth and pool bounty system—thusensuring the demand for the devices by gateway owners which might becompared to early bitcoin miners with bitcoin mining rigs. Theconnection cost is the significant part of the device overall cost/ayear and the chip cost increase is small, thus manufacturers earn moreand users pay less. A partnership with large cities allows the platformto have an initial public relations (PR) campaign, usage statistics andeconomy starting point.

Example Case 1

The node owner is a skiing resort. It distributes small connected tagdevices from the producer among its clients. Tag devices provide realtime location on each user and are extremely effective in locatingpeople in case of emergency and might be even capable to provide atwo-way communication channel while functioning on a small power sourcefor a number of days.

The first resort to install the network will have a high chance ofcovering its own costs by providing the connectivity features toneighboring resorts due to a long communication range.

Example Case 2

A simple feedback device can tell you if your elderly relative is indifficulty or make sure your child is safely home. And you will neverhave to worry about them if they are late home ever again. A connecteddevice can automatically send a distress signal based on somepre-installed trigger, sending in emergency services or letting you knowpeople close to you need your help.

Market of Communications—Analytics

M2M Market is forecasted to see significant growth; however differenttechnologies are favored by different researchers. An importantbenchmark for the platform, however, is the number of connections.

Significant variations are predicted for the market size in differenttechnological branches. This is a clear sign of market immaturity(according to “Real Wireless: A comparison of Ultra Narrow Band (UNB)and Spread Spectrum Wireless Technologies as used in LPWA and M2Mapplications”):

-   -   The IoT and supporting M2M markets are completely new and at a        formative stage. New technologies, new use cases, new business        models, new start-ups, consortia and groupings all emerge        regularly.    -   Applications are being deployed, often as small scale pilots, in        new and varied environments to test take up, benefits and return        on investment.    -   There are a number of competing LPWA offerings which, when        combined with the current lack of LPWA standards, makes        procurement decisions more difficult and extended with        purchasers and end users trying to ensure they avoid a stranded        investment.

What is clear however is that LPWA technology is now a serious marketplayer in M2M wireless connectivity alongside cellular, Wi-Fi, Zigbee,Bluetooth and other proprietary solutions. Machina Research's ‘M2MGlobal Forecast & Analysis 2014-24’ forecasts LPWA to be 14% of the 27billion total installed base in 2024 whilst cellular is forecast to be8% by the same date (Machina M2M Global Forecast & Analysis 2014-24).LPWA systems are therefore likely to be deployed widely, with systemsoperating in close proximity.

Concepts

According to a first aspect of these concepts, there is provided asystem including a data storage server, a service provider's server, anda gateway, the service provider's server in communication with the datastorage server, and the gateway in communication with the data storageserver,

-   -   wherein the data storage server is configured to generate first        tokens, to receive a registration from the service provider's        server, and to issue first tokens to the service provider's        server, and to receive a first token from the service provider's        server,    -   wherein the data storage server is configured to receive sensor        data from the gateway, the gateway arranged to receive the        sensor data from a device registered at the service provider's        server, the data storage server configured to issue second        tokens to the gateway after receiving the sensor data from the        gateway,    -   the data storage server further configured to store the received        sensor data on the data storage server or to store the received        sensor data on the service provider's server, wherein the sensor        data is stored using a blockchain system, wherein token        transactions for the first tokens and for the second tokens are        stored using the blockchain system, and wherein the data storage        server, the service provider's server, and the gateway are        registered nodes in the blockchain system. The data storage        server may be configured to not store the received sensor data        on the data storage server but instead to store the received        sensor data on the service provider's server.

An advantage is that sensor data is stored securely, because it isstored using the blockchain system. An advantage is that tokentransactions are stored securely, because they are stored using theblockchain system. An advantage is that sensor data and transaction dataare securely stored in the same blockchain system, which means thattransactions are very reliably associated with respective sensor datastorage activities.

The system may be one including a plurality of gateways, the pluralityof gateways in communication with the data storage server, wherein thedata storage server is configured to receive sensor data from thegateways, the gateways arranged to receive the sensor data from a deviceregistered at the service provider's server, the data storage serverconfigured to issue second tokens to the gateways after receiving thesensor data from the gateways,

-   -   the data storage server further configured to store the received        sensor data on the data storage server or to store the received        sensor data on the service provider's server, wherein the sensor        data is stored using the blockchain system, wherein token        transactions for the first tokens and for the second tokens are        stored using the blockchain system, and wherein the gateways are        registered nodes in the blockchain system. An advantage is that        many gateways can be used to gather sensor data. An advantage is        that the system provides for many gateways to receive second        tokens, in relation to sending sensor data to the data storage        server. An advantage is that sensor data gathered by the        gateways and transaction data associated with the gateways are        securely stored in the same blockchain system, which means that        for the gateways, transactions are very reliably associated with        respective sensor data storage activities.

The system may be one in which the plurality of gateways include aplurality of LR gateways and a plurality of BLE gateways. An advantageis that sensor data may be received by both short range connection, andby longer range connection, which covers a broad range of connectiondistances.

The system may be one in which the gateways are arranged to receive thesensor data from a plurality of devices registered at the serviceprovider's server. An advantage is that sensor data may be received frommany devices.

The system may be one in which the system includes a plurality ofservice providers' servers, the service providers' servers incommunication with the data storage server, wherein the data storageserver is configured to generate first tokens, to receive registrationsfrom the service providers' servers, and to issue first tokens to theservice providers' servers, and to receive first tokens from the serviceproviders' servers, wherein token transactions for the first tokens arestored using the blockchain system,

-   -   and wherein the service providers' servers are registered nodes        in the blockchain system. An advantage is that sensor data        relating to service providers' servers and transaction data        associated with the service providers' servers are securely        stored in the same blockchain system, which means that for the        service providers' servers, transactions are very reliably        associated with respective sensor data storage activities.

The system may be one in which the system includes a plurality ofgateways, in which the gateways are arranged to receive the sensor datafrom a plurality of devices registered at the service providers'servers. An advantage is that sensor data may be received from manydevices.

The system may be one in which a service provider's server is a securityservice provider's server.

The system may be one in which the device registered at the serviceprovider's server is a mobile computing device.

The system may be one in which the mobile computing device is asmartphone.

The system may be one in which the device registered at the serviceprovider's server is a desktop computer, or a household appliance.

The system may be one in which the data storage server includes a useraccount, the account configured to store sensor data associated with theuser account.

The system may be one in which the stored data associated with the useraccount is secure and is accessible only by the account user. Anadvantage is user control over stored data in a user account. In anexample, sensor data is always encrypted by a sensor owner, and may bedecrypted only by the sensor owner.

The system may be one in which every decision on using this stored data,by services or sharing it in any way, is made by the user, not anyoperational service or third-party company. An advantage is user controlover stored data in a user account.

The system may be one in which the first tokens and the second tokensare cryptocurrency tokens. An advantage is security of tokentransactions.

The system may be one in which the first tokens are purchased bycompanies that operate different applications (e.g. securityapplications).

The system may be one in which a newly registered node in the blockchainsystem receives a full copy of the blockchain, which is downloadedautomatically to the newly registered node, upon the newly registerednode joining the system.

The system may be one in which a newly registered node in the blockchainsystem receives a copy of the blockchain for only a most recent timeperiod (e.g. the most recent ten weeks), which is downloadedautomatically to the newly registered node, upon the newly registerednode joining the system.

The system may be one in which the blockchain system has completeinformation about the registered nodes and their token balances, rightfrom a genesis block to a most recently completed block.

The system may be one in which the system includes a security devicewhich transfers the sensor data to the data storage server via a firstlayer service.

The system may be one in which the data storage server aggregates thesensor data and transfers the aggregated sensor data to a commonenvironment via a second layer service.

The system may be one in which the aggregated sensor data is storedusing the blockchain system.

The system may be one in which a single second token serves as atransaction confirmation and is used to perform one transaction.

The system may be one in which the blockchain system ensures everytransaction is unique and secure.

The system may be one in which after the sensor data is stored using theblockchain system, there is no way of falsifying the information.

The system may be one in which the data storage server is configured toprovide an ICO (initial coin offering).

The system may be one in which in the ICO, the data storage serverprovides companies the possibility to purchase the first tokens toparticipate in the system.

The system may be one in which second tokens are continuously releasedas needed.

The system may be one in which the second tokens are reusable.

The system may be one in which the second tokens serve as a form ofpayment to the gateway.

The system may be one in which the second tokens are exchangeable intotraditional currencies.

The system may be one in which only the data storage server isconfigured to issue additional first tokens.

The system may be one in which the blockchain system includes atransaction blockchain system and a billing blockchain system.

The system may be one in which the transaction blockchain system logsall data connections and data transfers.

The system may be one in which the billing blockchain system issuesinvoices based on information from the transaction blockchain system.

The system may be one in which the billing blockchain system processesand logs all payments, and approves second token payments to gatewayowners.

The system may be one in which the system includes a Domain Name System(DNS) of things: a platform integrating various connectivity standardsand connecting a plurality of devices.

The system may be one in which the system uses crowdsourcing to gaincoverage.

The system may be one including a ledger, wherein a device isautomatically connected to a network if it is recorded in the system'sledger.

The system may be one in which the system includes Low-Power Wide-AreaNetwork (LPWAN) and Bluetooth connectivity.

The system may be one including Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), in which thesystem Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) uses customers' smartphones as mobilegateways.

The system may be one in which application areas for the system are oneor more of: Smart cities; Agriculture; Usage data collection; Retail;Resource management; Transportation & Logistics; Customer experienceanalysis, and Humanitarian aid.

The system may be one in which the system is usable by deliverycompanies, in which tracking sensors are included within packages fordelivery, to provide sensor data for gateways.

The system may be one in which the packages for delivery are trackedfrom supplier to client.

The system may be one in which granular data is collected, including oneor more of: Time spent in stock; Time spent in delivery; Time to shelf.

The system may be one in which the system is used by a constructioncompany on a construction site, or by a management company for aconstructed building.

The system may be one in which the construction company on theconstruction site uses the system to control noise level and implementautomated closed-circuit television (CCTV) solutions on the buildingsunder construction.

The system may be one in which the management company for theconstructed building uses the system to control the closure/opening ofmanholes, attics, or stairwell spaces in an apartment in constructedbuildings.

The system may be one in which the system is used by a manufacturer ofcarbonated beverages for sensors in refrigeration monitoring equipment.

The system may be one in which the system provides currentinfrastructure operators with the opportunity to earn extra revenue froman existing network.

The system may be one in which infrastructure operators can share anexisting network with others and get benefits from using otheroperators' networks.

The system may be one in which the system provides a smart city with oneor more of: (i) seamless infrastructure deployment; (ii) cost-effectiveconnectivity solutions, or (iii) easy integration.

The system may be one in which a smart city uses the system for one ormore of: Environment monitoring; Security and safety; Parking meters;Street lighting; Retail solutions; Utility services; Transportation;Waste management; Port logistics; Citizen data sharing.

The system may be one wherein sensors are placed to obtain real-timeinformation on how full public bins are.

The system may be one wherein environmental sensors are installedtracking one or more of: rainfall, humidity, soil composition,topography, air pollution, atmosphere pressure, temperature, andsunlight.

The system may be one in which coupling the environmental sensor datawith information about the landscape and weather prediction enablesmaking smarter decisions about irrigation.

The system may be one in which sensor data on water levels in pipes isused to reduce the amount lost to leakage and prevent new leaks.

The system may be one in which embedding sensors in water pipesthroughout a distribution network and connecting the sensor data to pumpcontrol systems is used to control water pressure in the water pipes.

The system may be one in which sensors include smart meters, which relayinformation about lights and buildings energy usage back to a centralmanagement system in order to efficiently allocate resources.

The system may be one in which lamppost sensors are installed onlampposts to monitor environmental conditions including one or more of:temperature, noise, and air quality.

The system may be one in which the lamppost sensor data is used tomanage accidents, identify patterns in microclimates, or makepredictions about vehicle and pedestrian traffic conditions.

The system may be one in which the system includes sensors in connectedstreet lamps, enabling cities to enhance the control and performance ofstreet lamps.

The system may be one in which sensors are used to determine if aparking space is available or not.

The system may be one in which parking space availability is viewableusing an application on a mobile computing device, to guide the driverto an available parking spot.

The system may be one in which the system integrates with existing IoTnetworks into one (e.g. uniform) virtual network.

The system may be one including gateways and service providers, in whichthe system's software acts as a middleware between the gateways and theservice providers.

The system may be one in which the data storage server includes masternodes, the master nodes in connection with each other.

The system may be one in which each master node performs transportrecordation, invoice generation, billing generation, automatic or manualpayments, and data storage.

The system may be one in which after transaction verification, if theMaster Nodes approve, approval is sent back to the gateway.

The system may be one in which data is sent to a user web service, to auser app, to a vendor analytic tool, or to vendor software.

The system may be one in which the system is protocol agnostic.

The system may be one including a LR, in which the system's LR includesLoRaWAN.

The system may be one including a BLE, in which the system's BLEincludes Bluetooth Low Energy.

The system may be one in which the system is used in supply chainapplications including one or more of: Real-time fleet management; Cargointegrity monitoring; Optimized warehouse workloads; Inventory tracking& analytics; End-to-end visibility into delivery process; Smart labels;Predictive maintenance; Storage conditions control.

The system may be one in which the system is used to allow for a singleproduct ecosystem: unlocking the potential to analyze the supply chainat every step.

The system may be one in which the system allows the possibility tointegrate suppliers, deliveries, and end clients in a single ecosystem.

The system may be one in which the system includes aspects which are oneor more of: Connected Assets; Connected Fleet; Connected Infrastructure;Connected Markets; Connected People.

The system may be one in which the system is used in a pharmacy supplychain solution.

The system may be one in which the system tracks every separate boxcontaining a pharmaceutical product, and data is collected along thewhole delivery route.

The system may be one in which the system crowdsources itsinfrastructure: data from sensors is transferred using smartphones ofregular citizens or any compatible gateway.

The system may be one in which the infrastructure is provided byinstalling an app with the system's SDK, or installing a Gateway at ahome.

The system may be one in which transportation sensors are installed inseats of metro cars & public transport, and transportation sensorinformation is used to enable a more even distribution of passengerswithin the metro car or in public transport.

The system may be one in which the system is used to manage break-ins orcontainer openings, using breakable or multiple use sensors.

The system may be one in which the system is used to registertrespassing into hotel/bar grounds, by using thin sticker beacons onalcohol bottles.

The system may be one in which the system is used to collect data on anamount of people currently occupying public spaces.

The system may be one in which an insurance tracker sensor is includedin a sticker which is attached to a vehicle (e.g. a car); the insurancetracker sensor is used to gather and transfer data on vehicle usage.

The system may be one in which the gathered and transferred dataincludes one or more of: Number of days the vehicle was used; Intensespeed up and slow down sequences, sharp turns and lane switchesperformed.

The system may be one in which the insurance tracker collects nopersonal data.

The system may be one in which sensors are installed on public transportvehicles, and smartphones positioned close enough to a public transportvehicle, or traveling inside a public transport vehicle, to transferdata from onboard sensors; data is transferred without requiring anyadditional actions from the smartphone's owner; the system includes BLEand the system's BLE uses the Bluetooth Low Energy technology supportedby the smartphones.

The system may be one in which data types collected include one or moreof: Number of passengers entering and leaving; Overall passenger numbersper route; Route and travel parameters.

The system may be one in which a 3G module is included on a publictransport vehicle, to provide a LR gateway of the system.

The system may be one in which sensors are placed in villages/cities andon roads along a public transportation route.

The system may be one in which sensors include one or more of: Trafficcounters; Pedestrian counters; Water usage counters or solar batterypower fuel gauges.

The system may be one in which a transport uplink cycle is provided, inwhich the service provider's server sends data to master nodes at thedata storage server; the master nodes store the uplink data; gatewaysrequest and receive the stored uplink data from the master nodes, andthe gateways send the uplink data to devices registered at the serviceprovider's server. This provides an advantage of an aspect of the firstaspect of the invention.

According to a second aspect of these concepts, there is provided amethod including the step of using a system of any aspect according tothe first aspect of these concepts.

According to a third aspect of these concepts, there is provided amethod of securely storing transactions and sensor data in a system, thesystem including a data storage server, a service provider's server, anda gateway, the service provider's server in communication with the datastorage server, and the gateway in communication with the data storageserver, the method including the steps of:

-   -   (i) the data storage server, the service provider's server, and        the gateway registering as nodes in a blockchain system;    -   (ii) the data storage server generating first tokens;    -   (iii) the data storage server receiving a registration from the        service provider's server, and issuing first tokens to the        service provider's server, and receiving a first token from the        service provider's server;    -   (iv) the gateway receiving sensor data from a device registered        at the service provider's server, and the data storage server        receiving the sensor data from the gateway;    -   (v) the data storage server issuing second tokens to the gateway        after receiving the sensor data from the gateway;    -   (vi) the data storage server storing the received sensor data on        the data storage server or on the service provider's server,        wherein the sensor data is stored using the blockchain system,        and    -   (vii) the data storage server storing token transactions for the        first tokens and for the second tokens using the blockchain        system.

The method may be one including the step of using a system of any aspectaccording to the first aspect of these concepts.

The above concepts may be combined with other aspects of the disclosuresof this document.

Note

It is to be understood that the above-referenced arrangements are onlyillustrative of the application for the principles of the presentinvention. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements can bedevised without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentinvention. While the present invention has been shown in the drawingsand fully described above with particularity and detail in connectionwith what is presently deemed to be the most practical and preferredexample(s) of the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinaryskill in the art that numerous modifications can be made withoutdeparting from the principles and concepts of the invention as set forthherein.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A system including a data storage server, aplurality of service providers' servers, and a gateway including atransceiver configured to operate at a power level below 5.0 mW, thegateway programmed with an application, the service providers' serversin communication with the data storage server, and the gateway incommunication with the data storage server, wherein the data storageserver is configured to generate first tokens, to receive registrationsfrom the service providers' servers, and to issue first tokens of thegenerated first tokens to the service providers' servers, and to receivefirst tokens of the issued first tokens from the service providers'servers, wherein the data storage server is configured to receive sensordata from the gateway, the gateway executing the application to receivethe sensor data from a sensor, or from a plurality of sensors, via thetransceiver, the data storage server configured to issue second tokensto the gateway after receiving the sensor data from the gateway, thedata storage server further configured to store the received sensor dataon the data storage server or to store the received sensor data on aservice provider's server of the plurality of service providers'servers, wherein the system is configured to store token transactionsfor the first tokens and for the second tokens, wherein the system isconfigured to store the sensor data using a blockchain system, whereinthe system is configured to store the token transactions for the firsttokens and for the second tokens using the blockchain system, andwherein the data storage server, the service providers' servers, and thegateway are registered nodes in the blockchain system, wherein sensordata relating to the service providers' servers and transaction dataassociated with the service providers' servers are securely stored inthe blockchain system.
 2. The system of claim 1, in which thetransceiver is configured to operate at a power level below 3.0 mW. 3.The system of claim 1, in which the transceiver is configured to operateat a power level below 1.0 mW.
 4. The system of claim 1, in which thetransceiver is a Bluetooth transceiver.
 5. The system of claim 4, inwhich the gateway is configured to use Bluetooth mesh networking.
 6. Thesystem of claim 1, in which the gateway is a mobile computing device, asmartphone, a tablet computer or a laptop computer.
 7. The system ofclaim 1, in which the gateway is a non-mobile device.
 8. The system ofclaim 1, in which the gateway includes a further transceiver, or inwhich the gateway includes a further transceiver configured to operateat a power level above 50 mW.
 9. The system of claim 8, in which thegateway is configured to communicate with the data storage server usingthe further transceiver, or in which the further transceiver is acellular transceiver, for example a LPWAN transceiver.
 10. The system ofclaim 1, in which the transceiver is configured to use advertising(beacon) one way communication from a sensor to the gateway, or in whichthe transceiver is configured to use a mesh Bluetooth protocol.
 11. Thesystem of claim 1, the system including a sensor.
 12. The system ofclaim 11, in which the sensor sends a beacon advertising signal when itis not connected to the gateway; the gateway's application sets up ageofence zone to all low power (below 5.0 mW) sensors, so the gatewayruns a part of the application code each time when the gateway enters asensor advertising signal zone; this part of the code is responsible fordata routing—so the gateway connects to the sensor, downloads the sensordata and sends the sensor data to the destination (eg. in the cloud).13. The system of claim 11, in which the transceiver is configured touse two-way communication between the sensor which is trusted by thegateway, and the gateway, which is trusted by the sensor.
 14. The systemof claim 11, in which the sensor includes an ID relating to the system.15. The system of claim 14, (i) in which the gateway checks the IDagainst a ledger of the system, wherein the system includes the ledger;or (ii) in which the gateway checks the ID against a ledger of thesystem, wherein the system includes the ledger, and in which the gatewaychecks a secure key in the gateway's internal memory, and all data sentthrough the gateway is end-to-end encrypted.
 16. The system of claim 11,in which a user can't read the data until he has a necessary key for thesensor, or in which a sensor key is used for correct accounting of asent data amount.
 17. The system of claim 1, (i) in which multipleBluetooth sensors are connectable to multiple gateways acting asgateways to the sensor data destination; or (ii) including Bluetoothsensors which include sensors in one or more of: Utility meters; Parkingsensors; Water/gas leak detectors; Gunshot detectors; Air qualitysensors; weather sensors; Attendance counters; Panic buttons; Publictransportation trackers; Street lights; traffic lights; Home & officesecurity sensors; Asset trackers; electricity meters; sunlight/radiation meters; vibration sensors; or (iii) in which the systemincludes multiple LPWAN gateways, and multiple LPWAN sensors connectableto the multiple LPWAN gateways; or (iv) in which there is no need topair a specific sensor with a specific gateway; or (v) in which storageof sensor data is recorded within a common ledger, creating atransparent billing; or (vi) in which the tokens are crypto-tokens; or(vii) in which the system provides interoperable and transparentconnectivity for cities, individual households and major enterprisesalike.
 18. The system of claim 1, including a plurality of gateways, theplurality of gateways in communication with the data storage server,each gateway including a transceiver configured to operate at a powerlevel below 5.0 mW, each gateway programmed with an application, whereinthe data storage server is configured to receive sensor data from thegateways, each gateway executing the respective application to receivethe sensor data via the respective transceiver, the data storage serverconfigured to issue second tokens to the gateways after receiving thesensor data from the gateways, the data storage server furtherconfigured to store the received sensor data on the data storage serveror to store the received sensor data on the service provider's server ofthe plurality of service providers' servers, wherein token transactionsfor the first tokens and for the second tokens are stored in the system.19. The system of claim 18, (i) wherein the sensor data is stored usingthe blockchain system, wherein token transactions for the first tokensand for the second tokens are stored using the blockchain system, andwherein the gateways are registered nodes in the blockchain system; or(ii) in which the plurality of gateways include a plurality of LRgateways and a plurality of BLE gateways; or (iii) in which the gatewaysare arranged to receive the sensor data from a plurality of devicesregistered at the service provider's server of the plurality of serviceproviders' servers.
 20. A method of storing transactions and sensor dataacquired using a transceiver configured to operate at a power levelbelow 5.0 mW, in a system, the system including a data storage server, aplurality of service providers' servers, and a gateway, the gatewayincluding the transceiver configured to operate at a power level below5.0 mW, the gateway programmed with an application, the serviceproviders' servers in communication with the data storage server, andthe gateway in communication with the data storage server, the methodincluding the steps of: (i) the data storage server generating firsttokens; (ii) the data storage server receiving registrations from theservice providers' servers, and issuing first tokens of the generatedfirst tokens to the service providers' servers, and receiving firsttokens of the issued first tokens from the service providers' servers;(iii) the gateway executing the application to receive sensor data froma sensor, or from a plurality of sensors, via the transceiver which isconfigured to operate at a power level below 5.0 mW; (iv) the datastorage server receiving the sensor data from the gateway; (v) the datastorage server issuing second tokens to the gateway after receiving thesensor data from the gateway; (vi) the data storage server storing thereceived sensor data on the data storage server or storing the receivedsensor data on a service provider's server of the plurality of serviceproviders' servers; (vii) storing the sensor data using a blockchainsystem, including storing the token transactions for the first tokensand for the second tokens using the blockchain system, and wherein thedata storage server, the service providers' servers, and the gateway areregistered nodes in the blockchain system; and (viii) securely storingthe sensor data relating to the service providers' servers andtransaction data associated with the service providers' servers in theblockchain system.